A computer network, such as the Internet, allows users to transmit data to, and receive data from, one or more sites or servers associated with the network.
Remote access provides a client (e.g., computerized) device the ability to log onto or access a computer network from a “remote” location. The term “remote” does not refer to physical distance, but rather to a location that is not part of a configured network. One conventional form of remote access involves the use of a virtual private network (VPN). The VPN is a type of private network constructed using a public network infrastructure (e.g., the Internet) to connect divergent network nodes (e.g., remote sites or users). Instead of using a dedicated, physical connection, such as a leased line, a VPN uses “virtual” connections routed from, for example, a company's private central network through a public network (e.g., the Internet) to a remote site or to a remote employee on the road or working from home. Such “virtual” connections are formed in a process known as tunneling. VPN's are conventionally constructed to operate over a public network through the use of a combination of data encapsulation, data encryption, and user authentication.
In a conventional private network, one or more concentrators provide remote clients with multiple points of access to a central site (e.g., server) or network. A concentrator is a type of multiplexor that combines multiple channels onto a single transmission medium such that all of the individual channels can be simultaneously active. Conventionally, each concentrator within the private network has a unique IP address. A client device establishes a VPN connection with a central site or network through a single concentrator using the IP address of a particular concentrator.